Did momma tell you there'd be days like this?

[67walkon]

Days like this as in really not into working today. In the legal world, work has been up and down for the last several years. Right now it is down again. Today I can work on things that people can't really afford to pay for or spend some time doing uninteresting work for a few viable corporate clients, or I can read these forums and try to figure out if I could really pull the trigger!

FIRE CALC and our advisor say we could. The only major thing in the way is health insurance. Minor things are concerns that Fire Calc and the advisors are wrong, but what the heck.

When you early retired folks hit the last year or so before either completely retiring or doing something part time, how did you deal with the days when motivation was totally lacking?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67walkon Days like this as in really not into working today. In the legal world, work has been up and down for the last several years. Right now it is down again. Today I can work on things that people can't really afford to pay for or spend some time doing uninteresting work for a few viable corporate clients, or I can read these forums and try to figure out if I could really pull the trigger! FIRE CALC and our advisor say we could. The only major thing in the way is health insurance. Minor things are concerns that Fire Calc and the advisors are wrong, but what the heck. When you early retired folks hit the last year or so before either completely retiring or doing something part time, how did you deal with the days when motivation was totally lacking?

Like you, I had to work a couple of years extra to qualify for retiree health insurance. During that time I just went over and over my financial plan, figuring out "what ifs" for various possible obstacles (like massive inflation, a market crash, and so on). Also I continued to contribute the max to the TSP (=401K) and Roth IRA, and to focus on the paychecks, even though I was saving most for future fun. Also, I posted on the forum. Got all my work done first, though.

[Ally]

I am in my last 3 years of working and I am so unmotivated at work these days. I used to LOVE my job, but we have been through about 4 years of torturous stress and now I pretty much hate it. Which is sad, since I've worked 27 years at this nonprofit. I found these boards a few weeks ago and read them while I eat at my desk. When I see that people have left work, survived and are thriving, it makes me so happy. Fortunately we will have health insurance through my husband's pension plan. It's just that we need to work a little longer to be sure we have enough.

[DangerMouse]

At some stage you are going to have to walk out on the ledge and take the leap.

Instead of being focused on what if Fire Calc and your FA are wrong, why not start believing they are right and try and resolve the health insurance issue.

Remember you only live once, you can always do something in the future to earn more money if you have to, but you will never be able to buy back this time you are losing sitting in a job you are no longer enjoying.

[pb4uski]

I think I'm there too. I like my j*b, but I'm not very motivated or inspired these days. Hope something more interesting comes along. Similar to you. not sure what I'm waiting for. A bit of fear of the unknown I guess.

[ziggy29]

Yeah, and lately at w*rk, a LOT more days have been like that lately. Today's been a particularly bad one, though the last week has really sucked and put me into a foul mood.

[Moemg]

Once I lost motivation I quit . Luckily at that point I had been FI for a few years so it was only the fear of boredom that kept me working . I am now retired over three years and except for a brief period I have not been bored .

[ls99]

Sorry about the hassle. The Shirelles discuss it.

YouTube - Mama Said - The Shirelles

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67walkon ...When you early retired folks hit the last year or so before either completely retiring or doing something part time, how did you deal with the days when motivation was totally lacking?

I'll try to make you feel a bit better.
I FIREd in 2007 by resigning.
A reorganization in 1997 placed me in the classic "I don't want you in my branch because I didn't ask for you" situation from h*ll. Prior to that, I had really enjoyed my j*b. I was given good assignments and was in very good standing with management at all levels and across groups. I received Excellent ratings every year and a decent bonus. I could do no wrong.
So for 10 years, I was the proverbial square peg in the round hole, getting very little credit for the w*rk I was doing, no incentive bonuses while the boss' favorites got all sorts of bonuses. Picture a lot of subtle but annoying hassling on little things at every turn. I could do no right.
Motivation? Why bother, you might ask ? I duly resigned myself to the necessity of the paycheck but continued my usual quality of performance just to show my supervisory antagonist exactly what I was made of. That drove him nuts.
The last laugh had my name on it.

[FreeAtLast]

I still like working at my part time computer programming job. After having a mostly management & consulting career, I am actually enjoying doing the technical work myself again.

I am 58 and will probably stay with it for another couple of years.

[67walkon]

Today is better! Unfortunately, dealing with some of the people in my profession can be very unpleasant. Most days, it doesn't get to me, but some days it does. Yesterday it did, today I am just looking at them with amusement.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67walkon Today is better! Unfortunately, dealing with some of the people in my profession can be very unpleasant. Most days, it doesn't get to me, but some days it does. Yesterday it did, today I am just looking at them with amusement.

There ya go...lemonade from lemons.

You cannot control what they do, but you can control what YOU do. In this case, your reaction to their actions is always under your control. Good for you!

[Joshua]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 I duly resigned myself to the necessity of the paycheck but continued my usual quality of performance just to show my supervisory antagonist exactly what I was made of. That drove him nuts.

My mother used to refer to that as being "scornfully neat" when she had a project that she felt was not useful. I have used the strategy a time or two, when I felt like I wanted to tell a supervisor that a particular project was just completely a waste of my time.

It usually means someone compliments me for getting a tedious job done well. I don't think they ever notice I'm actually being sarcastic.

Joshua

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67walkon ...how did you deal with the days when motivation was totally lacking?

I would log onto forums such as this to see what post-reality consisted of .

It's not uncommon to feel this way and it has little to do about your j*b, IMHO. It's that you have made a plan for your future, are about to execute that plan, and you're just waiting to start; almost like preparing for a vacation trip but you have not yet left for the airport, becoming a new parent to your first child, or even a timid teen about to experience your first kiss. All these things you may want to experience but you are "stuck" at the current time.

Retirement is new, exciting, fearful, terrifying, and incurs an entire range of emotions. The problem is that you are trying to equate the current, "known state" to something that is completely different and you wish to "get on with it".

It sounds like you are more ready (emotionally) for the next phase of your life then you are willing to admit, at least in your subconscious.

We've all been there. It's just a phase you need to experience and make the best of until you can actually move on. In other words, you're normal.

As for me? I would just remember the old phrase - "this too shall pass"...